Ray Davis

Early Life

Ray C. Davis was born on October 15, 1941, in Overton, Texas. Details of his early life and childhood are not widely available, as he prefers to maintain a private profile. Davis has a Master of Business Administration from LeTourneau University's School of Business.

Rise to Success

Davis spent 40 years in the energy industry before retiring as CEO of Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) and Energy Transfer Equity (ETE) in 2007. In 1996, he co-founded Energy Transfer with Kelcy Warren. The company initially focused on natural gas pipelines in East Texas, evolving into a major midstream energy company with approximately 140,000 miles of pipelines across the U.S. as of 2025. Davis made his first appearance on the Forbes 400 list in 2008, with a net worth of $1 billion. His net worth reached $1.9 billion in 2013.

Key Business Strategies

Davis's key business strategy involved building Energy Transfer into a dominant player in the energy infrastructure sector. This included strategic acquisitions and infrastructure development, such as the Dakota Access Pipeline, which despite controversy, increased the company's crude oil transportation capacity.

Philanthropy

Ray Davis is a philanthropist, but the exact amounts and details of his philanthropic endeavors are not readily available in public sources. Davis also has significant contributions to the success of the Texas Rangers organization.